"And if you SPEND YOURSELVES on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday."

"The Lord will continually guide you. He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."- Isaiah 58:10-11

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Baby Thoughts...

The past few weeks I (Ann) have been thinking about babies.
Doubtless this is due to the baby experiences we’ve run into recently.I am struck at the simple value of
every life and yet the complex range of circumstances surrounding the birth of
each child. There’s a verse in Psalm 139 that keeps passing through my mind.
“For You (God) formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.I will give thanks to You for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made.” According to God, a child is never a mistake
and each one is carefully and uniquely crafted.They do change life for those involved however.Maybe you can relate to one of these
stories and can ponder life with me.

Baby Experience One - Last weekend, we went to a baby
dedication.It was a noteworthy
day primarily because of the family dedicating their son.There was a mother present, which is
typical in Kenya.Usually the
mothers come to church and even if they are not regular attendees, they
dedicate their children.The
significance was the fact that there was a father present as well - and not
just any father, a really good father who is not only alive, but is committed
to raising his children well - a man who is committed to his wife, and a man
who is a leader in the community.It was joyful to celebrate their son and their family.It felt good to be there and to
celebrate the fact that this was the way God intended a family to function.

Baby Experience Two - Just a few days ago, we welcomed a new
baby into the children’s home.She
is precious, beautiful and a gift.(pic of Daisy)

It was not a planned incidence however.Her mom, one of my favorites, arrived
at the home in 2009 after she’d been raped.She was 13 and pregnant and though traumatized, she
delivered a healthy baby who is delightful.Last fall, she started struggling emotionally and began to
exhibit rebellious behavior.She
ended up running away twice.We
knew her location was safe but, because she refused to return, we thought she
was gone for good.We don’t force
children to stay here.It was
really hard.After several months
of being on the run and realizing life outside the home wasn’t all it was
cracked up to be, she apologized profusely and begged to return.It was a process, but she is now back
with us and is a changed girl.During her absence she became pregnant, and now we are helping her
manage this hard road she has ahead of her.

Baby Experience Three – There’s a young girl in this
community who we’ve befriended.Two days ago, she pulled me aside and, with tears streaming down her
face, told me she was pregnant.She’s 16.She is the
classic story of hundreds of young girls here.She was born into a fatherless home.Her mother is incompetent.A generous relative offered to take her
in at the age of 10.She’s basically
like a servant to the family. Though she goes to school and is given food, she
spends all of her additional time watching cattle, washing clothes or dishes,
hauling water, or cleaning.She is
desperate for love – desperate for someone to tell her she is worthy and
valued.The first boy that came
along and told her she is beautiful and that he loves her became her
savior.She soaked these words in
like a parched woman in a desert.Without hesitation, she gave herself to him.Now she’s pregnant and the cycle continues.

Baby Experience Four -There is another young girl in the community in the same situation as
the girl above.However, her
mother took matters into her own hands and gave her herbs to induce labor in
order to abort the child.She
became gravely sick and was bleeding to death when we were contacted about her
situation.In a series of
miraculous events, we were able to rush her to a hospital and save her life
but, unfortunately, not the life of her precious child.This was one of the hardest days I’ve
had here as I had to sit with her after her abortion while her dead child lay
in a basin next to us.It was
horrific because of the life lost and yet miraculous because of the life
saved.

Life can be hard.Only a small percentage of situations seem to live up to all that God
intended them to be, primarily because of our own bad decisions.But, even though living up to God’s
plan can be seemingly impossible, God desires to be with us through every
moment in our lives lived here on earth. He works through even our intentional
wrongdoing to provide a way for us to reach out and find Him to begin afresh
with Him at the lead instead of ourselves.Every life is incredibly precious to God and so valuable He
was willing to send Jesus to earth to pay the price for our wrong actions to
make a relationship with Him possible. He knows we don’t deserve His love and
forgiveness but that is why His gift is so ridiculously full of love and
grace.We just need to reach out
and take it by asking for forgiveness and asking Him to lead our lives.And then, like a new baby, we
experience a fresh start.

Thank you for pondering these things with me.We are so thankful for the role you
play in our lives.May your day
start fresh today…